(March 2nd, 2018, 00:12)T-hawk Wrote: Anyone still need to know anything about this game?
@T-Hawk, I'm no "arm-chair pilot" and I want to challenge your assertions.
The Lanius Boarding combo is just too good; you're seriously overstating how long the draining progress takes. I find that it's always finished by at least half-way through a fight, at which point it becomes a massive detriment to enemy crew and enables more fights to be won. The MC isn't incredibly useful, yes, but it allows a distraction while the Lanius drain, especially in larger rooms. Fact is Lanius boarding crews can single-handedly wipe out a ship or, failing that, render its weapon bay completely inoperable. That isn't even mentioning how ludicrously efficient the Adv Flak is in any loadout.
The Federation Cruiser is strong because both variants begin with efficient laser weapons that can be easily added on with pretty much anything. Beyond this, the Artillery Beam is stronger than you give it credit for. It's not something to be relied upon, but it makes good supplement damage for the price, and can shut down difficult fights before they have time to really dig in to your hull without the scrap loss of fleeing. It's also invaluable against the Flagship because it means you can focus on defensive ability and shutting down the Artillery Missiles without worrying about hull damage.
The Zoltan A is mildly hampered by its wholly disastrous layout. One unlucky shot or beam-in to any key system can heavily impede or even shutdown your offensive and defensive capabilities, and you have to evacuate the entire crew from that area to vent it. The ship also suffers if you can't quickly find complementary weapons or at least hacking.
The Zoltan C is one of my very favorite ships, and a damn good one in its own right. If anything the "armchair pilots" are the ones who think this ship is bad, without really taking it for a spin. The thing is actually just a Zoltan B in disguise, if not better! Since you'll be keeping the shields offline most of the time and moving all your power into keeping the weapon and drone up, you won't need the Battery at all until they enemy launches their first volley (and by the time they break through the Zoltan shields, the fight is either won or heavily in your favor). The Ion Charge is one of the most effective stand-alone weapons in the game; it can break multiple shield bubbles for a very long time without the MKII's power gorging and inevitable chance to lose its chain. The beam drone is the perfect match for this and mows down early ships. The Zoltan C, like some other ship designs, relies on finishing fights quickly and decisively. Look how the beam drone accomplishes this beautifully: it deals fast damage, it often hits multiple times per cycle, and it never misses. You can even bypass the drone's start-up period by placing it at the edge of the enemy shield bubble, then reactivating it just as the Ion connects and downs their shields. The Zoltan C seems bad at first glance, but the lemon of a reactor is nullified by the offensive power and Zoltan shielding. It even has great vents placed specifically to protect the offensive systems. The ship is a blend of the Engi A, Zoltan B, and Stealth A designs all in one.